Treatment of mineral oils and residues for the production of lower-boiling hydrocarbons.



C. WHITE.

N 0F LOWER BOILING HYDROCARBONS.

Patented May 15, 1917.

TREATMENT OF MINERAL OILS AND RESIDUES FOR THE PRODUCTIO APPLICATION FILED MAY I31 9T4- (1%7-MWM E STATES CARTER WHITE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

TREATMENT or MINERAL orrs AND nnsrnuns roe,

BOILING nynaocannous.

' To all whom it may camera:

lower boiling hydrocarbons of the paraffin series or products of low boiling point and low flash point of approximately the charaoter of petrol.

addition of steam,

in the form of small pieces or lumps) a suitable retort or chamber.

According to the invention I bring the oil or residue in a liquid state and without on to quick-lime (prefer ably whlch is heated to a suitable temperature in I have'found 550 G.575 C. to be a very suitable temperature but I do not restrict myselfto this temperature asI may work at as low as about 4:00 or as high as 650 C. The oil or residue may be sprayed or trickled on to the lime or be admitted thereto in a thin sheet or film 'or be otherwise admitted thereto, preferably in a distributed condition.

e oil on coming into contact with the hot lime volatilizes, and the vapors of oil thus produced are absorbed into the lime, where they undergo molecular re-arrangement, with consequent production of a large proportion of lower hydrocarbons of lower boiling point and lower flash point.

I find that ifthese newly produced vapors of lower hydrocarbons are allowed to remain in the site of their generation, they themselves again undergo decomposition, with production of still lower boilin and flashing hydrocai'bons, most of whic are not condensable at ordinary temperature.

According to a further part of the invention, in order to obviate this, Imay employ a vacuum pump or other exhausting apparatus attached to the retort or lime chamber, by which means the molecules of the vapors themselves, under the reduced pressure; are,

drawn away quickly from the source of their production, and as, under reduced pressure, the numbers of molecules of hydrocarbons are much less in a gi en space than Specification of Letters Patent.

rm: rnonuc'rrou or LOWER- Patented May 15, 1917.

Application filed May 13, 1914. Serial No. 888,230.

under normal conditions of pressure, there are fewer molecules of the petrol vapors present, so that the possible reduction to lower and gaseous hydrocarbons is thereby diminished.

The vapors from the lime retort or chamher may be condensed in any suitable way, I

and a liquid can thus be obtained containing a large proportion of hydrocarbon of low boiling point and flash point. With crude paraflin oil for example I have obtained by the above treatment a liquid containing, from 20 to 25 per cent. of hydrocarbon havmg a bmlmgpoint and flash point approximately those of petrol.

The petrol or lower boiling product may be removed from the liquid by distillation or fractionation, and the .residue may'be again sub ected to the action of the heated lime in order to produce a further yield of,

petrol or low boiling hydrocarbon therefrom. v p

1 If desired the vapors from the retort or chamber may-be led direct to 'fractionating apparatus instead of being first condensed.

The limeafteiit has been in use contains a certainamount of carbon, and the limemay be regenerated from time to time as re quired, by heating it in a currentof air, in order tofree it from carbon which becomes deposited therein during the process or from impurities deposited from the oil.

If the oil or residue tobe subjected to the process of the invention contains an appreciable percentage of low boiling hydrocarbons it should be subjected to a preliminary heating or distillation in order to remove the same before the lime treatment.

Any desired number of lime retorts or chambers may be used, and they may be horizontal, vertical or inclined.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example a plant for carrying out the invention, Figure 1 being a diagrammatic side elevation of the apparatus, with the retort heating furnace in longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the said 'furnace, showing also the oil supply tank, preheating vessel and dephlegmator.

1 is an overhead tank for supplying the oil through a valved-pipe 2, preheating vessel 3, overflow pipe 4 and a series of valved branch pipes 5, 5, 5, 5 to a corresponding 3a at the rear end by I ina cooling vessel 33 and 46 with another coil 47 number of iron pipes "6 containing-a layer of quicklime in small lumps, these pipes being mounted in a furnace heated by Bunsen type gas burners 8 supplied with gas from agas holder 9 by a pipe 10 and valved pipe 11. The furnace is lined with refractory material 12 and divided by a refractory partition 13 into upper and lower chambers 14, 15, communicating by openings 16 10 for the passage of the combustion gases to the chamber 14 in which the pipes 0. are mounted and thence tothe chimney 17.

The rear ends of the lime retort pipes 6 are each joined by a pipe 18 to a common pipe 19 which is connected by a valved pipe 20 to the suction side of an exhaust pump 21 driven by a motor 22 and belt 23.

From the pump, the gases may pass to suitable condensingmeans, with or without my being fractionated.

Preferably, however, the pump 21 is connected by a valved pipe 24 to a coil 25 in the preheating vessel 3 and which leads by a pipe 26 to the bottom of the dephlegmator 26 of which 27 represents the cooling water supply pipe and 28, 28, 28, 28, the valved conlnections to the ordinary water cooling 001 s.

The retort pipes '6 are also each connected a valved pipe 29 and a common pipe 30 to a trapped pipe 31 for any liquid residue that issues from the pipes .6, this pipe 31 leading to a cooling coil 32. discharging to the outside by a trapped pipe 34.

The dephlegmator 26 is connected at bottom by a valved pipe 35 to a cooling coil 36 in a cooling vessel 37 this coil di'schargmg through a U-pipe 38 for delivering the first 41a fraction of the: condensed vapors. A second pipe 39 leads from about midway of the height of the dephlegmator to another cooling coil 40 in the vessel 37 and delivers the second fraction through a U-p ipe 41.

A third pipe 42 leads from the top of the dephlegmator to a cooling coil-43 in a cool-.

ing vessel 44 which delivers the third fraction through a U-pipe 45, the bottom of coil 43 also communicating by a bent pipe whichlatter coil tion through aU-pipe 48. lhe U-pipes for the first, second and fourth fractions are connected by pipes 49, 50, 51 with a pipe 52 55 for conducting away uncondensed gas to the gas holder 9 from which the burners 8 of the furnace are supplied. I

- In operation with this apparatus the heavy oil supplied from the tank 1 fills the co preheating vessel 3 and passes by the pipes 4 and 5 to the retort pipes 6 charged with,

quick-lime heated to the required temperature of say 550 to 575 0., the valves 5 of the pipes 5 being regulated to give the desired amount of flow. The vapors pro in the vessel 44, delivers the fourth trac of added water vapor,

by the pump 21, and in passing through the coil 25 they heat up the oil in the preheater 3. From the coil 25 the vapors pass to the dephlegmator 26 from which the various fractions are led and condensed as explained and are delivered by the pipes 38, 41, 45, and 48, any uncondensed gases passing to the gas holder 9 by the pipes 49, 50, 51 and 52. Any liquid residue from the lime retort pipes 6 passes away by the pipes 29, 30, 31, and is delivered by the pipe 34 after passing through the cooling coil 32. Such resiso due can be returned tothe supply tank 1 if desired.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let- 'ters Patent is I 1. Process for the treatment of mineral 5 oils or residues for the production of lower boiling products, comprising bringing the oil or residue in a liquid state on to quicklime heated to a temperature of between about 400 to about 650 0., in the absence of added water vapor, the'lime' remaining in an unslaked condition during the carrying on .of the process;

2. Process for the treatment of mineral oils or residues for the production of lower boiling products, comprising bringing the oil or residue in a liquid state on to quicklime heated to a temperature of about 550 to 575 0., in the absence of added water vapor, the lime remaining in an unslaked 1 condition during the carrying on of the process.

3. Process forthe treatment of mineral oils or residues for the production of lower boiling products, comprising bringing the oil or residue in a liquid state on to quicklime containing carbon and heated to a temperature of about 550 to 575 0., in the absence of added water vapor, the lime remaining in an unslaked condition during the carrying on of the process.

4. Process for the treatment of mineral oils or residues for the production of lower boiling products, comprising bringing the oil or residue in a liquid state on to quicklime heated to a temperature of between about 400 to about 650 0., in the absence the lime remaining in unslaked condition during the carrying on of the process, and applying suction to draw away the vapors generated, for the purpose of restraining reduction of same into undesired low forms.

5. Process for the treatment of mineral oils or residues for the production of lower boiling products, comprising bringing the oil or residue in a liquid state onto quicklime heated to a temperature of about 550 to 575 0., in the absence of added water vapor the limeremaining in unslaked con- 1 o dition during the carrying on of the process, and applying suction to draw away the vapors generated, for the purpose of restraining reduction of same into undesired low forms.

6. Process for the treatment of mineral oils or residues for the production of lower boiling products, comprising bringing the oil or residue in a liquid state on to quick lime heated to a temperature of between about 400 toabout 650 0., in the absence of added water vapor, the lime remaining in unslaked condition during the carrying on of the process, vapors and distilling the same to extract the petrol or lower boiling portion thereof. Process for the treatment of mineral condensing the resulting.

oils or residues for the production of lower boiling products, comprising bringing the oil or residue in a liquid state on to lime heated to a temperature of between about 400 to about 650 0., in the absence of added water vapor, the lime remaining in unslaked condition during the carrying on of the process, and fractionating the resulting vapors to obtain the petrol or .lower boiling portion thereof. 4

In witness whereofI have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARTER WHITE. Witnesses ALFRED B. CAMPBELL, HKD. JAMESON. 

